by Francis Quarles (1592 - 1644) and sometimes misattributed to Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600 - 1649)
Translation
Close thine eyes and sleep secure
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Language: English after the English
Close thine eyes and sleep secure, Thy soul is safe, thy body sure; He that guards thee, He that keeps, Never slumbers, never sleeps. A quiet conscience, in a quiet breast Has only peace, has only rest: The music and the mirth of kings Are out of tune, unless she sings. Then close thine eyes in peace and rest secure, No sleep so sweet as thine, no rest so sure.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesConfirmed with Literary Curiosities and Eccentricities, A Book of Anecdote, Laconic Sayings, and Gems of Thought, in Prose and Verse, ed. by W. A. Clouston. London: Ward, Lock & Tyler, Warwick House, Paternoster Row, E. C., 1876, p. 157, in which it is titled "Last poem of Charles the First" and the note beneath the title says "This poem is given by Nahum Tate, in his Miscellanea Sacra", 1698. The poem is in fact by Francis Quarles.
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It is based on
- a text in English by Francis Quarles (1592 - 1644), "A good night", appears in Divine Fancies: digested into epigrammes, meditations, and observations, Book IV, London: M. Flesher, first published 1632 and misattributed to Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1600 - 1649)
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-05
Line count: 10
Word count: 73